Gone Cubal
by Shmellow
Summary: After moving away from her old town for four years, Elly decides she should take a visit and see her old friend, Melba. In Elly's absence, however, the town has fallen apart, and just being there is dangerous. Oneshot, rated T for safety.


The train roared loudly, but the sound of the metal beast plummeting down the tracks was no match for the pounding of Elly's pounding heart.

"I'm sure she'll forgive me. I'm sure she'll forgive me…" Elly kept repeating in her head.

Elly had moved away from Crossington four years prior to the train ride she was taking today. As she boarded the train to Wildville, she'd promised her friends that she would come to visit them soon after her move. "One year," she said to her friend, Melba. "After a year, I'll come to visit you. Wait for me!"

But after a year had passed, her life in Crossington was just a dim memory the back of her mind, as she had fun with her new friends in Wildville. After all, in Wildville, UFOs floated by, Elly could shoot presents out of the sky with her newly bought slingshot, and the friends that moved in with her could help her pay off her debt.

After about two years in Wildville, Elly moved to the city. The city was breathtaking. There were shops everywhere; Gracie had her own boutique, the odd Doctor had his own marquee show, and she even managed to steal a silver shovel from the mole that had harassed her so often.

Elly stayed home one rainy day, and read through some old mail. She came across an unopened letter and read it.

"Elly,

Why have you abandoned us? You promised to visit me in one year, did you not? It has already been three, and nobody has seen hide or hair of you. Your house was repossessed by Tom Nook after you stopped paying your debts, and many of your friends have moved away from Crossington. I even considered moving away, but… I thought you'd come! I told them you'd be here soon! But you never came. I… I hate you, Elly. I hate you for abandoning this town, and for abandoning me.

Melba"

She'd bought train tickets for that very day, and embarked on the two-week train trip to Crossington. Today was the last day of that journey, and she became ever more discouraged when she looked out the window. Even the forests on the fringes of the outskirts of Crossington were in a state of natural disrepair.

She started to worry more when she heard a familiar voice call her name. "Elly? Elly is that YOU?"

"Rover?" asked Elly, surprised. "You still ride this train?"

"Yeah," said the blue-and-white cat, as he sat down on the seat across from Elly. "Every so often, just to take a trip down memory lane. I got a part time job in Wildville dealing with visitors, so I don't get to do it as much, but… I do enjoy it. What are you doing here?"

"I…I'm visiting Melba," said Elly, ashamedly. "For the first time since I left Crossington."

"Oh man, Elly. Melba… she hasn't been doing great since you left. I mean, she sort of got over you leaving, but man, the town didn't. Weeds grew everywhere, the orange trees rotted, cockroaches invaded… it's like the town got worse and worse the more time you were gone."

"I never realized," said Elly, more ashamed than ever. "Is the town still… inhabitable?"

"I guess," said Rover. "I mean, Melba still lives there, right? And another guy too… what's his name—"

"CROSSINGTON! ARRIVING AT CROSSINGTON!" shouted Porter, the conductor.

"Good luck, Elly!" called Rover.

"Thanks…" she called back weakly.

Exiting the train, she glanced at Porter. The monkey shook his head at her.

She sighed and stepped out of the train into her old home town, waiting on the platform until the train left to make any noises.

"H-Hello?" she called, suddenly chilled by the desolate emptiness of the town.

Unsurprisingly, nobody answered.

Elly pulled out her dusty old map and began to walk around the unoccupied town.

She walked past the site where Tom Nook and The Able Sister's shops used to be. All that was left was two deserted buildings, both half falling apart. "It figures," she thought. "They've both moved onto the city."

The Police Station and Town Hall were in similar shape. Even the old dump looked more dumpish than it had four years before. The only structure still in good repair was the wishing well.

Elly looked at her map and counted the acres on the way to Melba's house. C-2, C-3, C…4!

And still standing where it had been four years ago, Melba's house was like a intimidating figure looming over her, warning her about what she would find if she dared to enter. However, the previously impeccable house was now in tatters. Melba's painted roof was peeling and the walls were cracked. It looked as if the entire structure would give way at any moment.

Elly suddenly felt a chill go down her spine. What would Melba be like now? The horrible conditions of the town certainly couldn't be good for her… mentally or physically.

Elly gulped and opened the door, afraid of what was on the other side. "M-Melba?" she called. Are you there?"

The house was dark, the only source of light being a candle held by a shadowy figure.

"Cube?" called the figure. Elly recognized Melba's voice. "Did you… bring some oranges perchance? I couldn't find any good ones today."

"N-No Melba… it's me… Elly.

"Elly… ELLY?!" screamed Melba. "You've come!"

To Elly's utter shock, Melba did not seem to be angry at all. She seemed happy and excited that her old friend had come back.

"Oh, Elly, I'm… I'm so glad you're here!" said Melba, hugging Elly tightly.

"I'm glad to be back," responded Elly, who was grinning. "I'm sorry I never came to visit."

"Oh, that's alright! Just sit down and I'll make you some tea. I'm so glad you're here!

Elly sat down at what she thought was a table. The surface of the table was a bit sticky, but Elly wasn't really in the mood to criticize Melba, who had so graciously welcomed her into the house.

"I'm so glad you're here, Elly!" said Melba.

"I'm… glad to be here too." said Elly, a bit confusedly.

Melba turned on a lamp near Elly, which allowed her to see the source of the stickiness on the table. "I'm so glad you're here!"

Elly was shocked by what she saw on the table. It was… blood! She noticed a bit dripping off the table and looked under the table.

Elly was horrified beyond words at what she saw.

"M-Melba… is this… is this..."

"She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, Elly. I couldn't find any fruit that entire week," said Melba, pointing at the barely recognizable body of Alice, which was lying under the table. Melba was still smiling. "Of course, I explained that to her many times and apologized profusely before I had to… do away with her. It was for a good cause though," said Melba. "I didn't go hungry for an entire MONTH! 'Course, then she started to rot away, so…" Melba pulled an axe out of a drawer.

"I'm… so…glad…you're…here…" said Melba, her friendly smile contorting into an angry frown.

Elly shrieked and jumped out of the chair she was sitting in. "Melba! You're…"

"Crazy?!" screamed Melba. "Insanity is the only way to survive now, Elly!"

Elly ran. She'd never sprinted so quickly in her life, she thought. During all the carefree days she had spent in this town, with Melba… she'd never expected to do this. She ran to Tom Nook's abandoned store and jumped behind the sales counter. Shaking and crying silently, Elly contemplated her end. "Melba… what happened to you, Melba?!" she thought.

Suddenly, she heard the doors to the shop open.

"Ellllyyyy… don't you want me to live, Elly? I can't live without food, Elly."

Elly heard her wandering around the store. Suddenly, she heard something smash. Peeking up above the counter, she saw Melba begin to smash the empty shelves with her axe. She crouched down again in fear. 

"DON'T you, Elly? Don't you WANT me to LIVE?!" she said, screaming each word as she smashed more shelving with her axe. Elly closed her eyes in fear. "DON'T YOU?!"

Elly suddenly saw Melba peeking over the counter, with the axe held about an inch over Elly's head. "You know what will happen if I swing the axe down a bit more, don't you, Elly?" Elly could only nod. "And the best part? I don't even have to feel guilty about killing you. Alice did nothing wrong, but you abandoned us, Elly! You're the reason we're in this sorry state!" 

"I'M SORRY!" screamed Elly.

Melba looked shocked. "S-sorry?"

"Yes!" said Elly. "You're completely right. This is… all my fault. My carelessness, my forgetfulness… no, my own selfishness. I never thought about the animals in this town who might have missed me. I was too wrapped up in my own life. I'm sorry, Melba. You're going to kill me… but can you forgive me first, please? I-I'll be able to die in peace…"

Melba eyes widened. "Elly…" she said, sadly. "Elly, run."

"What?" asked Elly, in disbelief.

"Run," said Melba, her leg beginning to twitch. "Just run, Elly! Before I try to kill you again!"

"But—" started Elly.

"GO!" screamed Melba, the psychotic look beginning to return to her face. "RUN!"

Elly ran.

Past the police station, past the dump, and past town hall… and almost past a tattered house like Melba's, until she heard a familiar voice calling to her. "Elly!" called the voice, quietly. "Come here, Elly!"

Elly didn't know where the voice was coming from, but she quickly decided that the inside of the house was safer than the edge of Melba's axe. She ran inside the house and quickly shut the door. Waiting inside the house was an old friend of hers.

"Cube?!" she asked, in disbelief.

"That's right, Elly. It's me."

Elly started backwards, and Cube laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna try to axe you."

"Why are you here? Can't you see the town is falling apart?" asked Elly, her curiosity overpowering her fright.

Cube became serious. "Elly, let me tell you about Melba and the rest of the city."

"About a year after you moved away, Melba started to wait for you at the train station every day. She kept insisting that you would come to visit. After about a year, her sanity began to… wither away. She spent most of her time at home, sitting in the dark, or at the train station, murmering to herself. At the same time, the town's condition steadily began to decline, and villagers began to move away from Crossington. Alice, Melba, and I were eventually the only ones left. We brought Melba some fruit every day, but eventually, all the fruit in town began to rot. Alice went to visit her one day… and well, did you see what happened with that?"

Elly nodded grimly.

"I thought you might've…" Cube said sadly. "It's so sad. She was just…"

"At the wrong place at the wrong time." Finished Elly.

"Right." Said Cube.

"But why did you stay here if you knew Melba was like this?"

"I had a feeling you might come here eventually," said Cube, "And I thought it was sort of my duty to help you out."

"How?" asked Elly. "She has an axe, as well as a nonworking conscience. She'll kill and eat either of us without a second thought."

"I know a way to make this better," said Cube, "But it'll be risky. Time-travelling can seriously screw this place up."

"Did you say time-travelling?!" asked Elly, surprised?

"I di—" started Cube, but he was interrupted.

An axe came through the door. "CUUUUUBBBBBEEEE!" shrieked Melba from the other side of the door. "I'm… so… glad… YOU'RE … HERE!"

"All right," said Cube, calmly. "She's lost it completely. Quick, through the side window!"

Cube and Elly slipped out of the side window silently. Melba, was, fortunately, so focused on her insane rampage that she did not notice. "CUBE? ELLY?! I'm… so… glad…"

Following Cube, Elly closed her ears. She didn't want to hear any more of her friend's sanity slipping away.

They arrived at the wishing well shortly after their escape from the house. "Go ahead," said Cube. "Jump inside." 

Elly looked at him in bewilderment. "I'm sorry, but my preferred means of suicide would be Melba's axe, not drowning myself!"

Cube laughed softly. "You're not going to drown yourself. Just jump in."

"You're crazy. I'm not—"

Cube pushed her.

Elly woke up in a black abyss, vaguely aware of a dim blue-and-white light shining above her dimly. "Cube?" she called, groggily.

"Glad to see you're awake," said Cube. "It's time to time travel!"

"Time…Travel?" asked Elly, more aware of her surroundings.

"Yep," said Cube. "Look up above you."

Elly looked up, and saw that the blue and white light was coming from lit numbers floating above her.

"4-23-09…" she read. "That's today's date!"

Cube gave her a small, rectangular box with two arrows and a green button on it. "Go ahead," he said. "Try pressing an arrow."

Elly pressed the bottom arrow on the box. The display changed to 4-23-08. Elly herself felt odd. She looked at her hands and feet, which were smaller, and at Cube, who was now about an inch taller than her. "Did I…?!" she asked in disbelief.

Cube smiled. "That's right." He said. "You just time-travelled." You seem to be about a year younger, don't you?"

Elly was still shocked. "But how did you know about this place?"

Cube gestured to the box drawn on his shirt. "I am one with the CUBE." He said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"…Nothing. Nevermind."

Elly switched the date back a few more years, so the display read 4-23-06.

"Now press the green button," said Cube. "Good luck, Elly…

Elly pressed the green button.

Elly woke up on a beautiful day in her home town of Wildville. Walking around the attic groggily, she—

"Oh, God!" She screamed.

She threw on some old clothing and ran down to the town gate, which was only a few meters from her house.

"Copper!" she said, practically shaking the dog. "What's today's date?!"

"A-April Twenty-Third, Two Thousand Six, M-Ma'am…"

"YES!" cried Elly, as she ran out of the building.

"That was certainly… odd," said Copper to his fellow guard, Booker.

Elly returned about a minute later carrying 2 suitcases stuffed with clothing and other essentials.

"I don't care how, just get me to Crossington ASAP!" she said.

"C-certainly, Ma'am," said Copper, once again confused by her course of actions. "I'll call the cab immediately to take you to the train station."

And Elly was once again embarking on the two-week trip Crossington via the train, today being the final day of the ride. Instead of worrying, however, she was excited to see all of her old friends on this trip.

"Hey, Elly!" called a voice. It was Rover, come to see her on her travels once more.

Elly grinned as Rover sat across from her on the train.

"So, Elly, where are ya off to?" asked Rover.

"I'm going back to Crossington. Visiting Melba, just like I promised!"

"That's great," said Rover. "I can't tell you how happy Melba is going to be! She's been looking forward to this for months. …That's weird," he said, confusedly. "I'm getting this weird sense of Déjà vu…"

Elly could only grin some more.

"CROSSINGTON, NOW ARRIVING AT CROSSINGTON!"` Announced Porter.

"See ya, Elly!" called Rover.

Getting off the train, Porter smiled and nodded at her. Elly smiled back.

She waited for the train to leave to make any noises. She stepped off the platform and towards Melba, who had fallen asleep on a nearby bench.

Sneaking up behind her, Elly put her hands on Melba's head.

"Meellllbaaa…" She said, softly.

"Gwa! Uh… huh?" said Melba, dazedly. "Oh, Elly!" she cried. "I'm so glad you're here."

Elly winced. "Oh, are you all right?" asked Melba.

"Yeah," said Elly. I'm just… it's nothing. Are Cube and Alice around?"

"We're right, here, Guvnor!" said Alice. She and Cube were both standing behind her, Cube giving her a thumbs up, or the Penguin-flipper equivalent of such.

"Let's go pick some oranges." Said Melba.

"It's much better than you're flesh-eating habits," murmered Elly under her breath, and Cube laughed.

"What was that?" asked Melba.

"Nothing," said Elly. "Now let's go get some oranges."


End file.
